Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson (Review)

Not entirely sure what to rate this. At times I thought it was beautiful and creepy, but at others I felt it lost a bit of its magic.Nevertheless, Servants of the Storm is one of the best paranormal books I’ve read in a long time. (4.5 rating, I guess. I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll change it later.)

After the death of Dovey’s best friend, Carly, during Hurricane Josephine, Dovey was put into a medicated fog. However, when she sees Carly in their favourite cafe, Dovey stops taking her medication and becomes entwined in a mystery emerging from the deepest shadows of Savannah. Dovey finds out that Hurricane Josephine was more than just a force for nature, and Dovey refuses to give up on her best friend whatever the cost.

“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”

I was initially drawn to Servants of the Storm by the eerily beautiful and haunting cover. It compliments this chilling Southern Gothic. Right from the first page I was captivated by the beautiful words and I found it very difficult to put down.

“There are a few other kids like us, kids who have lost best friends or siblings. We’re the ones who move slowly, heavily. But we try not to look at each other, our eyes sliding away, afraid of small talk that will bring back unwelcome memories. We’re a family of strangers in pain.”

Servants of the Storm is full of mystery and suspense, that’s cleared up around half way into the book. At times, the secrecy was irritating, but it was one of the main reason why I read and why I was so engaged with the book. It’s a great mystery book, alongside paranormal. There are a few twists and turns throughout, particularly the last chapter that really makes you pine for the next book. (There is a next one, right?) Servants of the Storm is also a really great paranormal book, but I won’t say much more to avoid spoiling the reveal.

I loved Carly from the brief glimpses of her you saw and I really do wish we got to know her more and had much more interaction with her. I also liked Dovey, but towards the end of the novel, she became a bit irritating, impulsive and rather reckless. As for Isaac, I was rather curious about him but still dubious and wary of him. As for Baker, he was a lovely addition to the novel and I loved his carefree attitude. There was a love triangle, but it’s a subplot and in no way is it forced upon the reader.

A haunting and beautiful novel and I highly suggest you give it a read when its released, particularly if you’re a paranormal fan as this is a rather unique one.